• Over $3 billion in net commitments to date
• Three new $460 million projects approved
• 120 billion FCFA disbursed since January
Dn the framework of the implementation of its development policies and programs, Burkina Faso, with the help of development partners, implements a set of projects and programs with the aim of improving the living conditions of populations. Projects and programs are currently being implemented in a difficult national and regional context, marked by a dual security and humanitarian crisis, the impact of which on portfolio management is considerable.
The World Bank, Burkina Faso’s development partner, has therefore taken measures to adapt to this context while continuing to mobilize resources to respond to the emergency and conflict prevention context. Since 2020, a high-level forum between the World Bank and Burkina Faso has made it possible to discuss the strategic and operational aspects necessary to improve the performance of the portfolio of projects and programs financed by the World Bank.
Despite the political situation which resulted in a quarter of disbursement pause, Burkina Faso has significant flows of resources which constitute opportunities for economic recovery and solutions to the various crises. The portfolio of operations has practically doubled in four years. Net commitments have thus increased from US$1.7 billion in 2018 to more than US$3 billion to date.
With three new projects totaling US$460 million, which have just been approved by the Board of Directors and whose financing agreements will be signed in the coming days, the portfolio will grow to US$3.546 billion. , including over billions of free cash. In addition, since the resumption of disbursements at the end of January 2023, a total amount of more than 200 million dollars, or 120 billion FCFA, has been disbursed on the various projects and programs at a time when 3.5 million Burkinabè are threatened by food insecurity and more than two million internally displaced persons have been identified.
“It is our desire to remain committed alongside the government and the populations that dictated the rapid reengagement of the World Bank in January 2023, following the assessment of the legal and institutional framework and the alignment of our interventions. with the priorities of the Transition and our people-centered approach,” said Maïmouna Mbow Fam, Resident Representative of the World Bank in Burkina.
By meeting on May 19, 2023, for the joint portfolio review, the two parties, the government and the World Bank, focused on the theme: “Portfolio performance in a context of fragility: what transformational approach for the ‘achievement of results and impact at scale’. This theme made it possible to address the issue of adapting projects and programs to this changing and volatile context and, therefore, the main bottlenecks of the portfolio.
It was a question of finding an adapted and synchronized territorial approach for the execution of activities in areas affected by insecurity, the application of instruments and practices allowing to act as quickly as possible, in order to obtain results. quickly for the most vulnerable populations. “We must review our modus operandi in this particular context, if we want to be impactful,” summarized Maïmouna Mbow Fam.
Moumoni SIMPORE
framed
Territorial approach, the use of P4R and project management
Lhe work surrounding the joint portfolio review of May 19, 2023 took place in plenary and the participants spoke on three sub-themes:
The integrated territorial approach as a multisectoral response to deliver public services to citizens and ensure the continuity of the implementation of projects and programs in risk areas, thanks to planning adapted to the context of insecurity and flexibility of modalities implementation;
The use of the Programs for Results instrument known by its English acronym “P4R” to operationalize results-based management, through the preparation and implementation of structuring programs that combine sector reforms and investments;
Strengthening national project and program management systems, financial management procedures, procurement and environmental and social risk management that are used for the implementation of P4Rs.
Now, both parties have agreed on the need to adapt to the emergency context by adopting more agile approaches and more flexible execution procedures that will allow rapid results to be obtained.
